This invention relates to a disk loading device for a disk player of the type which can be loaded with a plurality of disks, can continuously play the disks, and can play a desired one of the disks and a desired music track.
In recent years, a disk loading device, capable of being loaded with a plurality of disks for reproduction or playback, is of such a construction that even when one of the loaded disks is being reproduced, other loaded disks can be exchanged.
One such conventional disk loading device of the type described above will now be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 17 is an exploded, perspective view of a conventional disk loading device, FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVIII--XVIII of FIG. 17, and FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IXX--IXX of FIG. 17.
In FIGS. 17 to 19, a tray base 50 is received in a hole 51a formed in a panel chassis 51, and right and left guide portions 50a on the tray base 50 are fitted respectively on right and left ribs 51b formed on the panel chassis 51, so that the tray base 50 is movable along the ribs 51b in directions indicated by arrows A and B. Right and left holder plates 52 are engaged respectively with opposite sides 50b of the tray base 50 to limit an upward movement of the tray base 50 (that is, to limit a vertical play), and are fixedly secured to the panel chassis 51.
As shown in FIG. 18, a rotary tray 53 has a rib 53c which is engaged with an outer periphery 54b of each of three rollers 54 each having a shaft portion 54a rotatably supported by a pawl 50c, a reception rib 50d and a hole 50i which are provided in the tray base 50. A hole 53d in the rotary tray 53 fits on a shaft 50e of the tray base 50, so that the rotary tray 53 is rotatable in directions indicated by arrows C and D. A notch 53b is formed in a central portion of each of five disk placing portions 53a. At this time, the roller 54 can not be seen through the notch 53b in the rotary tray 53 (see a portion designated at L1 in FIG. 18).
A motor 55 mounted on the tray base 50 drives the rotary tray 53 through a speed reduction mechanism which comprises a motor pulley 56, a belt 57, a worm pulley 58, a worm shaft 59 and a worm 60. More specifically, teeth 60a of the worm 60 drive a toothed portion 53e of the rotary tray 53 to rotate the rotary tray 53 in directions indicated by arrows C and D. As shown in FIG. 19, the worm 60, together with the worm pulley 58, is press fitted on the worm shaft 59, and the worm shaft 59 is rotatably mounted on bearing portions 50f on the tray base 50. Reference numeral 61 denotes a disk.
A motor 62 mounted on the panel chassis 51 drives the tray base 50 through a speed reduction mechanism which comprises a motor pulley 63, a belt 64, a pulley gear 65 and a drive gear 66. More specifically, a toothed portion 66a of the drive gear 66 drives a rack 50g, provided on the lower surface of the tray base 50, to move the tray base 50 in the directions of arrows A and B.
Referring to a disk playing portion 67, a turntable 67a is adapted to carry the disk 61 placed on the rotary tray 53, and a shaft 67b is mounted on support portions 51c on the panel chassis 51 so that the disk playing portion 67 can be pivotally moved in directions indicated by arrows E and F. A pin 67c is engaged with a cam portion 68a of an elevator gear 68, and the rotation of the elevator gear 68 causes the disk playing portion 67 to move in the directions of arrows E and F.
A motor 69 rotates the elevator gear 68 through a speed reduction mechanism which comprises a motor pulley 70, a belt 71 and a pulley gear 72.
A clamper 73 holds the disk 61 between it and the turntable 67a of the disk playing portion 67 which passes along the notch 53b in the rotary tray 53, the clamper 73 being rotatably mounted in a hole 74a formed through a clamp plate 74 mounted on the panel chassis 51. The tray base 50 has an opening 50h into which the disk playing portion 67 moves.
The operation of the above disk loading device will now be described. First, when an instruction is given for bringing the tray base 50 and the rotary tray 53 to the exterior of the panel chassis 52 (that is, into a disk attachment/detachment position) in order to place the disks 61 on the rotary tray 53, the motor 62 rotates and transmits its rotational force through the speed reduction mechanism which comprises the motor pulley 63, the belt 64, the pulley gear 65 and the drive gear 66, and therefore the toothed portion 66a of the drive gear 66 drives the rack 50g of the tray base 50 in the direction A, so that the tray base 50 moves in the direction A and stops at the disk attachment/detachment position, with the disk placing portions 53a of the rotary tray 53 disposed exteriorly of the panel chassis 51. Even at this time, the tray base 50 is held at its opposite sides 50b by the holder plates 52, and therefore its upward movement (that is, a vertical play) is limited.
Then, disks 61 are placed on the respective disk placing portions 53a of the rotary tray 53. In this embodiment, two disks 61 can be placed at a time. Then, when other disks are to be placed respectively on the other disk placing portions 53a, the motor 55 rotates in accordance with an instruction, and transmits its rotational force through the speed reduction mechanism which comprises the motor pulley 56, the belt 57, the worm pulley 58, the worm shaft 59 and the worm 60, and therefore the teeth 60a of the worm 60 drive the toothed portion 53e of the rotary tray 53 in the direction of arrows C-D, so that the rotary tray 53 is rotated together with the rollers 54 in the direction of arrows C-D from one disk placing portion 53a to the next one.
The rotary tray 53 is stopped with that disk placing portion 53a on which the disk 61 has not yet been placed is disposed exteriorly of the panel chassis 51, and another disk can be placed on that disk placing portion 53a. This operation is repeated so that the disks 61 can be placed on all of the disk placing portions 53a, respectively.
Then, when an instruction is given for playing the disk 61, the motor 62 rotates in a direction opposite to the above-mentioned direction, and therefore the tray base 50 also moves in a direction (i.e., the direction of arrow B) opposite to the above-mentioned direction and is stopped at a disk reception position where the tray base 50 is received within the panel chassis 51.
Then, the motor 55 rotates to move the disk 61 to be played to a playing position, so that the rotary tray 53 rotates toward the playing position in the direction of arrows C-D and stops when the designated disk 61 is brought into the playing position beneath the clamper 73. Then, the motor 69 rotates to rotate the elevator gear 68 through the speed reduction mechanism which comprises the motor pulley 70, the belt 71 and the pulley gear 72, so that the cam portion 68a of the elevator gear 68 moves the pin 67c of the disk playing portion 67, and therefore the disk playing portion 67 is pivotally moved in the direction of arrow E, so that the disk 61 is carried between the turntable 67a and the clamper 73, thereby starting the disk playing.
Then, when the playing is finished, the motor 69 rotates in the direction opposite to the above-mentioned direction in order to play the next disk 61, and therefore the disk playing portion 67 is pivotally moved in the direction of arrow F. Then, the rotary tray 53 is rotated in the direction of arrow C-D by the rotation of the motor 55 to move the next disk 61 into the playing position, and the disk playing portion 67 is pivotally moved in the direction of arrow E to play the disk 61, as described above. By repeating this operation, all of the disks 61 placed on the rotary tray 53 can be played.
Then, when the disk 61 is to be exchanged or taken out after the playing of this disk is finished, an instruction is given to rotate the motor 69 to pivotally move the disk playing portion 67 in the direction of arrow F, and then the tray base 50 is moved in the direction of arrow A by the rotation of the motor 62 to bring the disk 61, placed on the rotary tray 53, to the exterior of the panel chassis 51 (i.e., the disk attachment/detachment position). Then, the motor 55 is rotated in accordance with an instruction to rotate the rotary tray 53 so as to exchange or take out the disk 61.
When it is desired to exchange or take out another disk 61 while the disk 61 is played, an instruction is given to rotate the motor 62 to move the tray base 50 in the direction of arrow A, so that the disk 61 placed on the rotary tray 53 is brought to the exterior of the panel chassis 51 (i.e., the disk attachment/detachment position). Then, an instruction is given to rotate the motor 55 to rotate the rotary tray 53, and during this time, the disk or disks 61 other than the disk in the process of playing can be exchanged or taken out.
However, in the above conventional disk loading device, in order that another disk 61 can be exchanged or taken out during the time when one disk 61 is played, the three drive systems including the motors 55, 62 and 69, respectively, are needed, and therefore the number of the component parts is increased. This has been a barrier to a compact design of the disk loading device.